Conveyer



Allg- 8, I R. E. J. -NORDQUIST I 2,355,100

ATTOEN EYS v Patented Aug. 8, 1944 fUNrrED STATES PATENT w` oFFic CONVEYER' Y' Ronald J. ordciuist, Maplewood, N. J., assignor to American CanCompany, New York, N. Y.,

a corporation of New 'Jersey Application December 1o, 14i..fseria1 No. 422,434 i teleline.. (01. 1985103) 'Ihe present invention relates to conveyer's and has particular-reference 'to maintaining endless chain conveyers in timed'relation with other cooperating feedmembers f irrespectiveof the amount of slack which may be createdv in the chains.

Endless chain conveyers are `frequently used in various industries for carrying articles from one place to another in time with other mov' ing parts of machinery. An example of such-an adaptation is inthe container or can-making industry where conveyers and turrets, star Wheels, and Valves having pockets are often used in timed relation to convey cans through one or more machines.l Where such combinationsof conveyers and rotating members are used in heat treating machines, considerable difculty is often experienced in expansion of the couveyer chain with a corresponding throwing out of time of the chain with therotating members.

The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difliculty by providing a yieldable mounting for the conveyer chain so that any slack created by an expansion of the chain will be readily taken up without throwing the chain'out; of time with cooperating feed'members.

An Vobject therefore of the invention is the provision of an endless chain conveyer operating in cooperation with other feed members wherein the conveyer Ais carried on aV exible mounting which permits of taking up any slack created in the chain, while maintaining the operation of the chain in time with' theotherfeed members.

Another object is the provision of a mounting for such a conveyer chain wherein slack, created lin the chain, may be taken u'p in two or more sections and in different amounts so that the chain in passing certainplaces adjacent the cooperating feed membersv will-be maintained in' timed relation With those members irrespective of the amount-of slack in the chain. Numerous other objects and advantages ofthe invention will be apparent as it is better understood vfrom the following description, which, taken in'connection with the accompanying drawings,

discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings: v Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view-through a conveyer mechanism embodyin'gthe instant invention, with parts broken away; f

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along the broken Yline 2-2 in'Fig.=1',-with'-parts brokenaway;

Fig. 3 is a Vertical sectional View through the 55 gear drive casing as viewed from the 'upper right of Fig. 2; and

Fig.. 4 is a horizontal sectiontaken substan tially along the broken line 4-4 Yin Fig. .1l 'As' a preferred embodiment of the -instant invention the drawings illustrate principal. parts of the'can sterili'zing portion of a `machine in which'sheet metal cans are sterilized, lled with a product, and are sealed prior tol shipment and storage. In such a machine empty cans A (Fig. 1) in a horizontal position are introduced into a sterilizing chamber II by way of a rotatingy inlet valve or delivery transfer member I 2.

Within the chamber II the cans are transferred toa pair' of endless chain conveyers I3 which are located side by side and whichhave spaced prongs or flights I4 for propelling the cans through the chamber. While in the chamber the cans are. subjected to a sterilizing treatment such as steam or other suitable medium which is circulated through the chamber. After being sterilized the cans are transferred .to a rotary outlet valve or discharge transfer member I5 which discharges the cans from the chamber. The sterilizing chamber II is enclosed by walls of a pair of superimposed connecting casings 2l, 22 which are bolted together and which constitute part of the main frame of the machine. Adjacent the can entrance end of the casing 2|, a cylindrical valve seat 23 is bolted in place and is formed with an inlet opening 24 throughwhich the cans A are introduced into the chamber. This 'opening is sealed by the valve I2 which is mounted .on a' shaft 26 journaled in bearings formed in the upper casing 2|. 'I he valveis formed with a plurality of pockets 21 which are spaced around its periphery for carrying the cans into the chamberntimed order. Thev can discharge valve I5 is locatedadjacent the can outlet end of thecasing 2I andis disposed in a cylindrical valve seatl 3| bolted to the casing. The valve seat is formedwith a can outlet opening 32 through which thersterilized ycans A are passed from the chamber vto the valve. The cans are received in timed order in pockets 33 which are spaced around the periph,- ery of the valve. x

The discharge valve I5 is mounted on a shaft 34 which is journaled in bearings formed inthe vto any suitable place of deposit upper casing 2 I. Cans received in the valve pook, ets 33 are carried through the valve seattoa discharge opening 36l where theyare discharged by way of a runway-31er other suitable device.

The endless chain c'onveyers I3l located within confined between the conveyer flights I4 of the chain by a,y pair of inner and outer guide rails 4I, 42 which are disposed adjacent the chains.

The conveyer chains I3 operate over a plurality of sprockets located within the chamber II. Beginning at the inlet valve I2, the chains take over a pair of spaced inlet drive sprockets 43 which are disposed adjacent the can inlet opening 24 in the valve seat.` The chains theny extend down into the chamber in parallelism with the guide rails 4|, 42 and adjacent the bend in the rails near the bottom of the chamber,

they take over a pair of spaced lower tightener sprockets 45.

After leaving the lower tightener sprockets 145 the chains I3 .extend up along the guide rails 4|, 42. Adjacent the can outlet opening 32 in the discharge valve I5, they take over a pair of spaced dischargedrive sprockets 41. At the discharge drive sprockets the chains extend down in a loop where they pass under a pair of spacedupper tightener sprockets 49 and then extend up over the inlet drive sprockets 43 mentioned above. This completes the circuit of the chains.

The inlet drive sprockets 43 and discharge drive sprockets 41 are mounted on respective drive shafts 5I, 52 journaled in bearings 53 (Fig. 2)

formed inthe upper casing 2|. These drive A shafts and the Valve shafts 26, 34 are rotated in unison and in timed relation so that the can flights I4 on the chains I3 passing over the sprockets will bemaintained in timed relation with the pockets 21, 33 of the respective valves I2, I5. Hence-the cans upon entering the chamber and upon leaving the chamber will be properly received and discharged by the conveyer chains. A This timing of the drive sprockets 43, 41 and valves I2,` I5 is brought' about by a gear 'train best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The-train is operated by a bevel driving gear 58 which is mounted on a main drive shaft 51 journaled in a bearing 58 formed in the upper casing 2 This drive shaft maybe'rotated in any suitable manner. f

The driving gear 56 meshes with and drives a bevel' gear 8| mounted on a horizontal .'shaft 82 journaled'in suitable bearings inthev upper casing 2|. `This shaft also carries a spur gear B3 which meshes with a gear 84 mounted on the inlet driving sprocket shaft 5|. The sprocket gear 64 meshes withand 'drives'a gear 65'mounted on the inlet valve'V shaft 26 and"thus rotates 'this with' its associated sprockets 43'. Y'

The sprocket gear V|54 meshes with Yanidler gear 66 mounted on a shaft B1 journaled in suitable bearings formed inthe upper casing 2| The idler gear meshes with a gear 68' mounted on the discharge sprocket drive shaft 52 and this gear meshes with a gear 69 mounted on the discharge valve shaft 34. In this manner the disvalve in time for by the tightener sprockets 45, 49. For this purpose vthe lower tightener sprockets 45 are mounted on a stationary shaft 12 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) the ends of which are seated in and bolted to half bearings 13 .formed in a pair of swing arms 14. The arms are mounted on a pivot shaft 15 carried in a pair of spaced bearing lugs 16 which extend out from the lower casing 22.

The sprocket shaft 12 and the sprockets 45 thereon are pressed downwardly against the chains I3 by a yoke 8| which straddles the two sprockets. The yoke is provided with half bearings 82 which bear down on the sprocket shaft 12 adjacent the swing arms 14. The yoke carries a vertical rod 83 which extends up through a bearing 84 formed-in a bracket 85 bolted to Y the lower casing 22.

A.' `compression spring l8|: disposed around the rod 83 and interposed between the bearing 84 and the yoke 8| supplies the pressure on the tightenersprockets 45 tokeep taut those portions of the chains that move along the can guide rails 4|,v 42. Locknuts 81 threaded on the upper end of the yoke, rod are provided to limit-the travel of the sprockets in case such a limitation be found necessary. It is this tightener device that takes up any slack in the chains in the lower portion of the chamber and thus maintains them taut without in any way interfering with the timing of the chains as they pass over the drive sprockets 43,41.

In a similar manner, portions of the chains I3 which` extend down between the drive sprockets 43, 41 in the upper portion of the chamber II, are maintained in a taut condition without interfering with the timing of the chains as they pass over the drive sprockets. In this upper end of the chamber the tightener sprockets 49 are mounted on a shaft 9| (Fig. l).

4 The ends of the shaft 9| engage under half bearings 92 formed in a pair of spaced swing arms 93. T hearms are mounted on a pivot shaft 94 carried in bearing lugs 95 formed on a. web section 96 of the upper casing 2 I. The outer ends of the arms are connected by a bridge section 91 (see also Fig. 2) to which one end of a tension spring 98V is connected. The opposite end of the spring is connected to a lug 99 formed on the bracket 8.5. It is this spring that pulls down on the swing arms 93A and thus applies a pressure on the upper tightener sprocket shaft 9| and sprockets 49 mounted thereon to maintain the upper portion of the chains taut inde#- pendently of the lower portion of the chains.

In this` manner all portions of the chains on v each side of theA driving sprockets are kept taut charge valve I5 is rotated in'time with its coopirrespective of each other without in any way affecting the timing of the chains as they pass over the'driving sprockets. The chains and their nights I4 are always in time with the valve pockets 21, 33 at the locality where the pockets and the chain flights are brought into registry to transfer the.y cans from one to the other.

Y It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andl arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described beingmerely a preferred embodiment thereof.

YI claim:` l

1. In a conveyer mechanism, the combination of a pair of spaced rotary chamber sealing valves each having peripheral pockets thereon for delivering containers to and discharging the containers from a single intermediately disposed endless conveyer having spaced flights thereon successively movable to adjacent the pockets of said valves for carrying containers received from said delivery valve, said valves each having an independent conveyer sprocket member disposed adjacent thereto for movably supporting said conveyer between said valves, a single power shaft for directly driving said conveyer sprocket members and said valves in timed relation to maintain said conveyer flights in successive registry with the peripheral valve pockets, and a spring tension controlled tightener device connected to spaced portions of said conveyer for continuously maintaining the latter taut without disturbing the timed relation of said conveyer with the rotary movement of said delivery and discharge valves.

2.. In a conveyer mechanism, the combination of a pair of spaced rotary chamber sealing valves each having peripheral pockets thereon for delivering containers to and discharging the containers from a single intermediately disposed endless conveyer having spaced flights thereon successively movable to adjacent the pockets of said valves for carrying containers received from said delivery valve, said Valves each having an independent conveyer sprocket member rotatably `mounted adjacent thereto for movably supporting said conveyer between said valves, a single power shaft for directly driving said conveyer sprocket members and said valves in timed relation to maintain said conveyer flights in successive registry with the peripheral valve pockets, a pair of tightener sprockets rotatably engaging spaced portions of said conveyer, means for mounting said sprockets for bodily floating movement, and a spring tension controlled tightener device connected to each of said sprocket mounting means for continuously maintaining the conveyer taut by taking up slack at spaced portions thereof without disturbing `the timed relation of said conveyer with the rotary movement of said delivery and discharge valves.

3. In a conveyer mechanism, the combination of a pair of spaced rotary chamber sealing valves each having peripheral pockets thereon for delivering containers to and discharging the containers from a single intermediately disposed endless conveyer having spaced flights thereon successively movable to adjacent the pockets of said valves for carrying containers received from said delivery valve, said valves each having an independent conveyer sprocket member rotatably mounted adjacent thereto for movably supporting said conveyer between said Valves, a single power shaft for directly driving said conveyer sprocket members and said valves in timed relation to maintain said conveyer flights in successive registry with the peripheral valve pockets, a pair of tightener sprockets rotatably engaging opposite portions of said endless conveyer, a pair of pivotally mounted arms in which said sprockets are respectively journaled for bodily floating movement, and spring elements respectively connected tc the outer ends of said arms for continuously maintaining said sprockets in taut engagement with said conveyer at opposite portions thereof, whereby to distribute the taking up of conveyer slack to insure against disturbing the. timed relation of said conveyer with the rotary movement of said delivery and discharge valves.

4. In a conveyer mechanism including a pair of spaced rotary transfer members each having peripheral pockets thereon for delivering containers to and discharging the containers from a single intermediately disposed endless yconveyer having spaced flights thereon successively movable to adjacent the pockets of said transfer members for carrying containers received from said delivery transfer member toward saiddischarge transfer member, the combination of means for movably supporting said conveyer between said transfer members, means for driving said conveyer, a pair of tightener sprockets rotatably engaging spaced portions of said conveyer, means for mounting said sprockets for bodily floating movement, and a spring tension controlled tightener device connected to each of said sprocket mounting means for continuously maintaining the conveyer taut by taking up slack 'at spaced portions thereof.

5. In a conveyer mechanism including a pair of spaced rotary transfer members each having peripheral pockets thereon for delivering containers to and discharging the containers from a single intermediately disposed endless conveyer having spaced flights thereon successively movable to adjacent the pockets of said transfer members for carrying containers received from said delivery transfer member toward said discharge transfer member, the combination of means for movably supporting said conveyer between said transfer members, means for driving said conveyer, a pair of tightener sprockets rotatably engaging opposite portions of said endless conveyer, a pair of pivotally mounted arms in which said sprockets are respectively journaled for bodily floating movement, and spring elements respectively connected to the outer ends of said arms for continuously maintaining said sprockets in taut engagement with said conveyer at opposite portions thereof, whereby to distribute the taking up of conveyer slack to spaced portions thereof. 

